Smile
by GirlquinndreameR
Summary: Eriol, now 15 yrs old, returns to Japan. This is his account of his thoughts and reasons. ET


Smile

            I do all things normal boys do: wake up, eat, bath, and sleep...I'm normal like everyone else.  Except the fact that I have a gift.

            I have the soul of a person who lived long ago.  He was once a great magician and created his own magic.  I, a now 15-year-old boy, hold his memories and powers inside my body.  At first, it was utter torment, having an identity set for me.  I wanted to make my own.  Fate had something else in mind.  I was not meant to create my own destiny.  I've accepted it gracefully.

            I like having power.  It's not quite a terrible thing as one might think.  In fact, I don't get sick as often, I can scare away salesman...having magic does have its perks.

            Still, I used to lie in bed and dream about how it would be if I were "normal."

            I imagine myself back in my home country, London, England, talking to my chaps about the latest installment of the Harry Potter saga.  We would have such a lively conversation about it and immediately skip to a new subject, like last night's god awful long homework.  

You know, normal things.  That's what I thought of when I closed my eyes.  That is, until I came to Tomoeda.  Now, every time I close my eyes, I see her.

I can't recall when this all started; most likely the day I first met her.  No girl from England, in fact, the whole world could surpass her beauty.  She was exquisite.  There was something about her when I first saw her.  I suppose every girl has something about her.  Take our prime example Sakura-san.  Her cheery-good mood makes my little descendant blush and collapse because he overheats.  Mihara-san is the only person in the world that can tolerate Yamazaki-kun's playful lies.  And Sasaki-san has an adult-like maturity that Terada-sensei admires (Yes, only a fool can not see their attraction).  But _her_...that long hair, porcelain skin...those amethyst eyes...what a vision!  Even at the young age of 13, she was glorious!

But why is it only her I see when I close my eyes?  That's never happened before.  Could it be...

Yesterday, when I talked to my descendant about his relationship, he turned red.  Later, I asked him "How can you be positive you're in love?" 

He blushed intensely, twiddled his thumbs and stared at his fingers while answering.  "I just know" was her answer.

Quite vague, don't you think?

"I appreciate everything about her," he clarified.  "Her looks, her style, her smell—."

"Smell?" I questioned.

He giggled fiercely.  "She smells like cherry blossoms."  After noticing my strange glance to his response, he regained his composure and said "But most importantly...her smile."

Well, that was rather curious.  "Her smile?"

"It's not those kinds of evil smiles you always give Hiiragizawa.  Her smile, it's the best part of her.  It shows her mood, her personality, her optimism...and when we're alone, and she smiles for me...the world now belongs to me because _I_ made her smile.  I cause her joy..." he looked at me and asked why I was curious.

Luckily the school bell rang so I didn't have the chance to answer him.  Regardless I would have just smiled and said "No reason" and danced around his request.

So now, one has to ask himself: Can you tell if you're in love just by how the person smiles?  Scientifically, that's impossible.  But then again, love isn't science.

Has anyone made me smile?  Now that I think of it, Kaho never made me smile...I mean truly smile just because of her presence.  I acknowledge her, most definitely, and I appreciated her, of course.  But did I truly love her like the way he loves his little Sakura?  If I did love Kaho, why was it so easy to leave her back in London?  Why did I bother to come back; I have no business here.  The cards are well taken care of by a strong and loving mistress...so why did I come back?  Could it be because of _her_?

I close my eyes.  There she is again.  I don't want to open my eyes.  When I returned to school, there she was...as beautiful and radiant as ever.  Two years were added to her, so now she looks more like a woman.  She seemed well.  After Sakura-san captured Hope about 2 years ago, and Syaoran and Sakura-san started dating, she started to slowly isolate herself.  She would still tag along and videotape their dates, but she wouldn't stay for very long.  She would call it a day and run home, all alone.  Then she would hook her camcorder to a VCR and record their escapades on tape.  Often, she would stay up late at night, crying, and hugging herself away from the loneliness.  It tore at my heart to see my dear friend like that.  Dear friends...is that all we are?  She got better though but ever since then, I noticed she isn't always with those two.  I guess she's afraid to be a third wheel.  I know all this because I watch her.  I watch everyone dear to me: Sakura, Syaoran, Nakuru, Spinel, Keroberos, Yue, Kaho...

But how dear is _she_ to me?  My head spins, congested with different thoughts of her.  These thoughts...they're coming back.  They are the reasons why I returned to Japan.  It's making me dizzy.  Is this normal?  I still see her...and I don't dare open my eyes.

"Eriol," a small voice calls to me.  The door creaks and Spinel's head pops out.  "Eriol, your guest is here."

I open my eyes and walk towards it. "Thank you, Suppi."  Visibly his eye twitches.  "I'm only teasing, Spinel.  I know you don't like that name."  I smile at him.

Spinel shrugs and head towards the hall and down the stairs.  I follow.  I stand at the top of the stairs; I freeze. There she is.

She stands with a long white sundress on and a pale yellow ribbon tied in her hair.  Nakuru, after snuggling the life out of her, hollers "Eriol!  Isn't she cute?" She smiles politely as a response to the compliment.

No, I think to myself.  Beautiful.  I just smile back.  I slowly walk down the stairs.  "Thank you for coming," I greet her.

"Good evening.  I'm sorry I'm a little late," she apologizes in her angelic voice "but I had to tell Sakura-chan and Li-kun that I had other plans tonight."

"I see..." I meet her at the foot of the stairs.  "I've prepared some tea in the library.  Shall we?"

She nods. "Sure."

I lead her to the library that sits at the end of the hall.  She enters but I notice Nakuru was close behind.  I give her a look, Nakuru smiles, hugs me, trods away merrily, calling "Suppi!"

I close the door behind me.  She sits on the black couch in front of the fireplace.  With a lift of my fingers, a large flame erupts from the logs of wood.  "Is it cold out?" I ask her. "I'm sorry I made you come out so late."

"Oh, not at all," she says. "Besides, my bodyguards drove my here."

I sit beside her and pour a cup of tea for her and myself as well.  Coffee makes me a little jumpy.  "Well, I'm glad you're here."

We both take a sip.  "You have so many books.  Have you read them all?" she asks me.

"No" is my response. "I have not read the books on the left side of the room."

"Oh" is how she replies.

We are silent once again.  I set my cup down on the coffee table and inch a little closer to her.  "You and I are friends, right?"

"I believe so," she nods.

"But there is so much I don't know about you."

"Well, what would you like to know?" she asks.

I shrug.  Why would this bug me so much, the fact that I don't know a lot about her?  But I know everything, except...the fact why I always see her...

"You and I are friends, yes," I say, "but I'd like to get to know you better."  Oh dear, did that come out right?

She places her hand on mine.  "I would like that very much."

That very next moment is something even I could never expect or foresee.  She smiles at me.  However, it isn't just any smile.  She looks how she always does with a smile but...something happened to me.  My knees buckle, my muscles tighten, my breath shorten and my heart pounds.  My stomach turns all the way around and my throat gets tight.  She's smiling because of me?  Yes, she is!  We're sitting alone in the room and she smiles because of me...Is this what my cute little descendant was talking about?  The feelings I have feel like they are going to explode from my chest!  It's too powerful, even for me.  Is this what he was talking about?

Could this be it? Could it be...dare I say...

_...fin..._

Note: CCS and its characters belong to Clamp, blah.  I don't see a lot of E+T stories out there.  Don't get me wrong I love S+S but I thought I needed a change.  I hope everyone liked it.  Why did I mention Harry Potter?  Well, while I was writing this, my sister was ½ way thru the 4th book...in one night.  That meant 400 pages on Saturday night?  Unbelievable!  BTW, her name is Chibiwolf on Fanfiction.net and she loves CCS with a passion.


End file.
